Simon Lalong, Plateau State Governor
Proprietors of private schools in Plateau have cried out over what they called multiple taxes in the state.
They also expressed the fear that “such massive extortion” could lead to the closure of some institutions.
“The taxes are not only very heavy, but so many.
` We have been trying to get the authorities to harmonise them otherwise it will be very difficult for many of us to cope,” Chief Ezekiel Sabo, President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Plateau, said on Sunday.
Sabo, in an interview listed the taxes to include the N200,000 charged schools whose registration process was still on-going.
Other charges, he said, included the annual renewal fee of between N75,000 and N200,000, depending on the number of arms as well as the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes paid on behalf of school workers.
He said that the proprietors were also charged separate taxes, depending on the income and size of the school.
“In the case of proprietor’s tax, government officials will just call for your books, assess them and declare what you will pay.
` Nothing is specified and there is no criteria to prepare you ahead,” he said.
Other charges include tenement rate paid to local governments in addition to that collected by the Fire Service.
Sabo said that NAPPS had met with officials of the Ministry of Education, Board of Internal Revenue and local government councils where it pleaded that the taxes be reviewed and harmonised to ease payment.
“We need such review and harmonisation to enable us plan ahead and stay afloat,” he said.
On service delivery, he said NAPPS had mapped out strategies, including peer review mechanisms as well as consistent training of teachers to boost quality.
He called for a law to make it mandatory for individuals or groups seeking to establish private schools to …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
